Marine Biology Commons^™

Bp Gulf Science Data Reveals Ineffectual Subsea Dispersant Injection For The Macondo Blowout, Claire B. Paris-Limouzy, Igal Berenshtein, Marica L. Trillo, Robin Faillettaz, Maria J. Olascoaga, Zachary M. Aman, Michael Schlüter, Samantha B. Joye

C-IMAGE Publications

After the Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion, an estimated 172.2 million gallons of gas-saturated oil was discharged uncontrollably into the Gulf of Mexico, causing the largest deep-sea blowout in history. In an attempt to keep the oil submerged, massive quantities of the chemical dispersant Corexit^® 9500 were deployed 1522 m deep at the gushing riser pipe of the Macondo prospect’s wellhead. Understanding the effectiveness of this unprecedented subsea dispersant injection (SSDI) is critical because deep-water drilling is increasing worldwide. Here we use the comprehensive BP Gulf Science Data (GSD) to quantify petroleum dynamics throughout the 87-day long blowout. The …